1. Field
Exemplary embodiments in the disclosure relate to a three-dimensional (“3D”) image display apparatus. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a 3D image display apparatus with reduced number of parts and interfaces to simplify an operation of a liquid crystal lens panel and with reduced power consumption.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a 3D image display apparatus is classified into a stereoscopic type display apparatus and an auto-stereoscopic type display apparatus based on the driving method thereof. The auto-stereoscopic display apparatus utilizes a parallax barrier or a lenticular lens to display a 3D image. The lenticular lens is typically configured to include a convex lens or a Fresnel lens, and a left-eye image and a right-eye image are refracted by the convex lens or the Fresnel lens such that a viewer perceives the 3D image.
In recent, a 3D image display apparatus that switches a two-dimensional (“2D”) image and the 3D image with each other has been developed, and such a 3D image display apparatus includes a separate panel used to switch the 2D image and the 3D image with each other. The 3D image display apparatus that switches a 2D image and the 3D image with each other may include a barrier liquid crystal panel or a liquid crystal lens panel. The barrier liquid crystal panel provides a parallax barrier when a power source is applied to the barrier liquid crystal panel, to thereby provide the 3D image to the viewer, and the liquid crystal lens panel refracts light by being operated as a lens in response to the power source so as to provide the 3D image to the viewer.
When no power source is applied to the liquid crystal lens panel, the light exiting from the display panel passes through the liquid crystal lens panel essentially unchanged. However, when the power source is applied to the liquid crystal lens panel, an arrangement of liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal lens panel is changed to operate as the convex lens or the Fresnel lens. Accordingly, the light from the display panel is refracted by the liquid crystal lens panel operated as the convex lens or the Fresnel lens. The light refracted by the liquid crystal lens panel is provided to the viewer as the 3D image.
The 3D image display apparatus including the liquid crystal lens panel includes a timing controller that controls the display panel and additional timing controllers that control the liquid crystal lens panel. Accordingly, the 3D image display apparatus may include separate printed circuit boards to mount the timing controllers thereon.
In addition, the timing controllers, which control the liquid crystal lens panel, separately receive data signals used to drive the display panel and apply the data signals to driving integrated circuits (“IC”s) used to drive the liquid crystal lens panel. Since the driving ICs separately receive the data signals used to drive the display panel and drive the liquid crystal lens panel, the driving ICs used to drive the liquid crystal lens panel have the same circuit configurations as the circuit configurations of driving ICs used to drive the display panel. Accordingly, the driving ICs for the liquid crystal lens panel may include various interfaces since the driving ICs for the liquid crystal lens panel generates data voltages used to drive the liquid crystal lens panel using data values provided every frame.